Meant To Soar

Chapter Six

  For the next few days, Nathan and I got to know each other more. I learnt that he was shy when I introduced him to my friends, Jay and Danielle. He could be really caring too, as evident from the countless nights he spent awake just to hear me ramble on and on about how unfair my whole day was. He was hilarious at times, too, cheering me up on a bad day. He was practically a perfect friend. 

  We would tear through the dense forest, chasing each other. Pretty soon, Nathan knew the forest like the back of his hand like I did. We would run tirelessly until I started running out of energy. Nathan would then ask me if I was okay and, without waiting for my reply, would sling me over his shoulders and run all the way to the lake. He would throw me in and I would yelp as the cold, green lake water engulfed my whole being. In revenge, I would pull him to the lake by his ankles and dunk his head underwater for a good five seconds. We would giggle crazily and splash water at each other. Little did I know that times would not always be so easy and carefree.

  The first glitch in our friendship happened on a Saturday morning. I was sleepily plodding through my thick stack of pancakes and shoving them hungrily into my mouth. Nathan was doing the same, except he was using his fork and knife and was seated properly, not slouched over like me. He nibbled daintily  at a little piece of pancake. I rolled my eyes at him. "At this rate, how're you ever gonna finish your food?" 

  Nathan just smiled. He was used to my teasing. 

  All of a sudden, the doorbell rang. The sound resonated through the whole house. "Argh!" I moaned, clamping my hands tightly over my ears. 

  "Dee, open the door, I'm cooking !" Mum called. I sighed and made sure Mum heard it.

  I trudged over to the door and opened it. Jay and Danielle stood in front of the door. Jay had a pained expression plastered across his face and he kept looking over at Danielle. She stood there with an emotionless look on her face. My heart started beating three times its normal speed. "What's going on?"

  "Can we, uh..Speak to you for a bit?" Jay asked softly. Danielle stood there looking at me coldly. Nathan appeared by my side. "Alone," Danielle added upon seeing him.

  "Suit yourselves," Nathan shrugged, going back to his pancakes. 

  I followed Jay and Danielle over to the garden. We stopped under a weeping willow tree. The leaves concealed us from the rest of the garden. It was our secret hideout. "Wow, it's been a long time since I last came here," I said.

  Danielle nodded curtly. "Me too. That's why we wanted to speak to you."

  "What's going on?"

  "Well," Jay begun. "You haven't been hanging out with us a lot lately. We feel it's 'cos of Nathan. You two always hang out together. You practically dumped us for another friend, one who just appeared in your back garden for some apparent reason, like some crazy stalker." 

  I was tempted to tell him to take that back as the last thing Nathan was is a crazy stalker. If only they knew his story. And mine. I nodded as if to say, "Go on."

  "That's why we've decided to end the friendship with you," Danielle said coolly.

  "Wait, what?" I asked, panic starting to set in.

  "Dig you ears, Dee. Didn't you hear me? Or is your English too terrible to understand what i just said?" Danielle snapped. Jay and I cringed.

  "Look, Danielle. Take that back 'cos if you're talking about me having terrible English, it might as well be opposite day. After all," I stepped closer to her. "Who was it again who got a C minus for the last English test? Hmm ?"

  Danielle glared at me. I swear if looks could kill, I would've dropped dead there and then. 

  "That's right. YOU did," I continued foolishly.

  "That's it. Friendship ended," Danielle said. She smiled at me. 

  Jay was staring at her, wide-eyed. My mouth dropped open. The closest thing I have to a social life before I met Nathan was Jay and Danielle as my friends. The two of them were popular in Kansas State School, a school where Junior High and Primary School were combined in. Having friends with a high reputation gave you an easier life. No one would pick on you, you got the best seats in class, you hung out with the 'cool' crowd. 

  If you're an enemy of a popular person, you might want to consider digging a hole in your back garden and living in it for the rest of your life. Especially if you are Danielle Wright's enemy. "Danielle, sorry for saying your English is terrible.. Maybe you wanna consider this again ?" I said feebly. My knees felt week all of a sudden. 

  Danielle stood stone-still for a while, watching my every move like a hawk watching a snake slither across bare land.

  "Fine. You've got a choice, Sykes. Listen up," She hissed. "Cuz I ain't gonna repeat it again."

  "What, Danielle?" I asked, exasperated.

  "That Payne guy. Or us." She said. She flipped her shiny black hair dramatically and pushed away the leaves of the tree so she could get out of the hideout. Jay scurried after her, shooting me a brief apologetic look. 

  HAHA !! Cliffhanger ! No worries, will post soon. As in, very soon. Stay tuned. Peace, love and sour cream, Aretha xxx